Alma Maters of U.S. Presidents

So where did the U.S. presidents attend college? As you might expect, the big name schools have attracted many future Commander in Chiefs. Yale University alumni outnumber Harvard University alumni 7-6 (when counting both undergraduate and law school admission). However, if Barack Obama becomes president, the core will be even, as he graduated from Harvard School of Law.

As for advanced degrees, the presidents have had surprisingly few. Eight former presidents have law degrees — nine, if Obama is elected. Only one president earned a PhD — Woodrow Wilson. Seven presidents did not go to college.

For Thomas Jefferson, both his bio at monticello.org and http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tj3.html cite him as having attended William and Mary College and make no reference to Yale. I can find no credible reference (albeit after only a cursory search stating Jefferson attended Yale.) He read law under George Wyeth and by all accounts that was in Williamsburg, VA as well, so no tie to Yale there either.